Black Pearl, Sapphire, and Gold
by W. R. Winters
Summary: Sequel to Dancing with the World. It's been six years since Dawn made her choice, and her singing career has never been more popular. Ash on the other hand has become a very good detective. And when Dawn gets captured, it's up to Ash to find her before it's too late, but who captured her? And what do they want with her. Possible Pearlshipping, final story in a trilogy.
1. Chapter 1: Pilot

_"No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater...The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that's the key. It's like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot."_

– _Sarah Dessen_

* * *

 **The scene is dark, and all is quiet.**

 **A spotlight comes on and illuminates a desk with two chairs behind it.**

 **Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen; readers of all ages, races, genders and sexualities. It is with great pleasure that I introduce our hosts/authors. First, he's brilliant, he's sneaky, he's creative, and he's charming. He's one your authors and he's ready to get you started, please welcome W. R. Winters!**

 **The crowd roars with applause as the stage lights up and the familiar author comes into view. He flashes a charming smile towards the audience and bows at their applause before sitting in one of the chairs behind the desk.**

 **W. R. Winters: Ah it's good to be back, and don't worry, I'm not alone.**

 **Announcer: Now for our second of our two authors. She's just as brilliant and creative as our first author, she's cunning, and she's beautiful. Put your hands together for our co-author, DawnForever101!**

 **The crowd applauds loudly as the young female walked onto the stage, several wolf whistles and cat calls could be heard over the applause. She smiled and then winked before blowing a kiss to the crowd. Several people went to grab it and the female author walked over to occupy the seat next to her partner.**

 **DawnForever101: Wow, it's been a while since we've been here. Not much has changed, right Wolf?**

 **W. R. Winters: I couldn't agree more Hani. Now some of you may say that this should've come out sooner, well Hani and I have a life outside of this. So cut us some slack. Other, we can't take all the credit. Great big shoutout to SourAgar for giving us the idea that turned into this story.**

 **DawnForever101: Yeah. So, we might as well get the episode started. Neither of us own Pokémon, and we hope you enjoy the first episode of** _ **Black Pearl, Sapphire, and Gold**_ **.**

 **W. R. Winters pressed a button in the center of the desk and everything faded to black.**

 **-*X*x*X*-**

* * *

She took a deep breath, straightened the fabric of her dress slightly and glanced at the mirror probably the umpteenth time. The young woman standing in front of her reflection was a strong, independent, courageous and grown woman, intellectually and physically. Dawn no longer saw herself as a beginner; she saw herself as someone who had actually grown in her own way...someone who would get back up when she would fall down.

Her lips curved slightly into a smile and she nodded to herself.

"Dawn? You and Wolf are up in ten minutes," Dawn heard Damon say as she turned around. She gave him one of her signature smiles before he nodded.

When he was out of sight, she glanced at herself in the mirror yet again, only this time, her blue eyes caught the necklace that was laid gently on Dawn's neck. She held onto it as if it were a fragile piece of glass. In a way, the necklace had been a reminder of the crazy journey she had been through with Wolf. He would always put others before himself; he was always so genuine and he had a heart of gold. The necklace also gave a reminder of Ash. Her heart would always soar when she thought about Ash and all the troubles and grief they had been through. She would never forget that day when she left both of them depressed by choosing neither of them; she wouldn't in a lifetime.

She had no idea what Ash was currently doing now. She had recently heard from Tracey that he had decided to drop college and pursue another career, but that was almost been two months after it happened. Tracey had told her about the hardships Ash was going through during their breakup; how he had been drinking his sorrows out and Dawn's heart had nearly stopped. She had no idea that she had unintentionally caused Ash so much distress and so much pain. But Tracey had managed to reassure her.

She thought that maybe their paths would cross again in the future. Who knew what the future held for them? But now that it had been several years since Dawn chose neither Wolf nor Ash, and she hadn't heard anything from the latter.

* * *

A hand touched Dawn's shoulder and instead of turning around, she smiled at Wolf in the mirror. "Hey," she said.

He straightened his lips into a thin line. "Hey," he said, the hand never leaving her shoulder. "You know, I can't believe that we're doing this."

"What?"

"This," he emphasized, "I can't believe that after all this time I, Wolf Winters, still have the honor of doing another international tour with Dawn Berlitz."

Dawn smiled at his words and mentally agreed with him. It all did seem a bit surreal. "You're right. But, hey, we've worked so hard to reach this point in life," she said. "We deserve to be here, Wolf."

He removed his hand from her shoulder and she turned around to face him. "I know," he said. "And I'm stoked to be doing it with you."

Dawn smiled. "Then, let's do this."

* * *

Colorful lights were practically dancing across the stage and smoke cleared when the two appeared on stage, resulting the crowd to go wild. Dawn and Wolf genuinely looked surprised. Even though they had grown accustomed to this throughout their whole career of singing, they still felt the shock upon seeing an audience that was as large as the one before them. Some of their fans were screaming their name and the two of them felt instant euphoria coursing through their veins.

Dawn had never been so happy in her life.

The audience grew silent for a while when Dawn grabbed a mic. "What's up, Kaloooooos Regiiiioooooonn!" The audience cheered yet again and Dawn laughed. "I hope you're all excited, because this is the first performance of our international tour…and we'd like to start it with a good show. I can't thank you guys enough for making this a reality. Wolf and I have worked so hard to reach this point in our lives and it's because of you guys that we're here. So welcome to not just the first in a line of concerts that will be happening all around Kalos and the other regions, but a concert that marks that 6th anniversary of the first concert Wolf and I performed as a duo!" Dawn then raised the mic into the air.

"Wolf Winters in da houseeee!" Wolf screamed into the mic, and the audience responded by screaming loudly as well. "Alright, alright, everybody settle down..." he said, and the audience's screams decreased a little. "Now, I'm not gonna give a long speech, but I will say this: Thank you guys for continuing to make Dawn and me an international sensation for the past six years and I hope that you guys continue to do so. So everybody, get ready for the greatest night of your lives!"

Loud music echoed through the entire stadium and everyone in the audience felt adrenaline pump when Dawn and Wolf started to sing. It had started off slow, with a meaningful song where Dawn came into play. She kept the audience mesmerized while Wolf added his melodious voice in between. Then, there was a sudden shift in the music to a more upbeat one and that was when the backup dancers appeared on stage, syncing with Dawn and Wolf's singing. Wolf and Dawn danced through the beat of the music while singing their hearts out.

* * *

After doing about four to five songs, Dawn and Wolf were backstage again and they were trying to catch their breaths after that exhilarating experience.

"That was awesome," Wolf said with I slight laugh.

"I couldn't agree more." Dawn smiled. "They really love us, Wolf."

"They do. After all, we make an amazing pair," he said. "We still have to do meet up with our fans and do some autograph signing," he reminded her.

She nodded. "I know...I love meeting our fans, it's the best part of a concert."

Wolf smiled. As he looked at her, he realized how mature she had grown. She undoubtedly had been through a lot, but he was there with her through thick and thin and he was glad that they both had overcome their obstacles. He wasn't sure what their plans would be in the future and all he knew was that Dawn was happy. And he was happy for her.

Though, Wolf wasn't sure if he still loved Dawn. Ever since Dawn had made her decision, he had made the decision to move on. Of course, it wasn't easy and it required some time to get over someone like her. But a few weeks passed, and he found himself slowly getting accustomed to the fact. In addition, he grew closer with someone else.

The daughter of their vocal coach Cynthia, Raven.

When the time was right, he had asked her out. Of course Raven had been reciprocating her feelings and the two were in a relationship for a while.

However, it didn't last long.

Dawn noticed Wolf's change of demeanor. "Hey...what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing...I was just thinking about..." he trailed off and Dawn gave him a look of sympathy.

"Wolf, you'll be alright. No relationship is perfect. That's what I've learned throughout the year. I know it's hard but trust me, everything will work out in the end."

Wolf stared at her. He slightly smiled at the ironic situation. Usually, he'd been the one to give Dawn advice but it seemed the tables had turned.

"No need to worry?"

Wolf slightly chuckled. "Yeah...no need to worry."

* * *

Meanwhile…

* * *

It was dark, and it was quiet at the warehouse. Which could've been good or bad depending on how you were looking at it. For a small group on individuals keeping a watchful eye, it was neither.

Only the sound of an approaching car drew their attention away from the building, "It's them, here to make the negotiation." One of them said, their voice indicating the speaker was male.

The one standing next to the one who spoke nodded, "How much time then?" They said, the voice was female.

The first one contemplated for a minute, "I'd say around five minutes minimum," he said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a hand gun. After making sure it was loaded, he turned towards the others, "All of you keep an eye on that car, and begin to move it when the occupants exit it. Be sure to move to help when they figure out the ransom is fake, backup is on the way I'm guessing?" He didn't give them time to answer as he turned the second person that spoke, "You're with me."

"That much was obvious. I'm your partner, Detective." She said with a sarcastic eye-roll.

The detective smiled slightly before beginning to move, his partner close behind.

* * *

They quickly and silently made their way to the side of the warehouse. There was a side door, illuminating by a single light, that lead inside, but it was guarded by two thugs. Each one holding a gun in their hands.

The detective looked toward his partner and slightly jerked his head towards them, the partner got the message and she made her way towards the shadows on the other side of the door. He then silently made his way towards the thug closest to him.

When he wasn't too far away from the thug, a noise came from the shadows on the other side. The sudden noise caused both thugs to whip their bodies towards it and unloaded a few rounds from their guns out of reflex.

When they stopped firing, the detective made his move by rushing foreword and started to grapple the thug, one arm around his throats and the other went over his mouth to prevent him from screaming. Though he still managed to make some muffled grunts as he tried to break out of the detective's grip.

The grunts caught the attention of the other thug and he looked towards them. Upon seeing the detective he raised his gun and took aim. Just as he was about to shoot, a hand clutching a gun came down hard on the area between the thug's neck and his shoulder and the thug fell to the ground unconscious.

The detective tightened his grip until the thug he was choking until they fell unconscious and he dropped them to the ground. Then the detective stepped into the light to reveal his tanned skin, brown eyes, messy black hair and a small amount of stubble on his face. "Good job Anabel."

The girl named Anabel stepped into the lights she had lilac colored hair that was short and styled into a bit of a pixie cut, her lilac eyes were gleaming with pride, "Not too bad yourself Ash." She said before she walked up to the door and tried the handle, "Unlocked," she said, letting go of the handle, "Do you think it could be a trap?"

"Perhaps, but then again. It could just stupidity." Ash said as he walked up to join her, "And judging from what we know about these thugs...it's probably stupidity."

Anabel laughed, "Well then, should be a piece of cake to take them down."

Ash opened the door and looked around, there weren't any more thugs guarding the other side of the door. He then spoke in a quiet tone, "Our job is to find the hostage and rescue her, and the others will take down these thugs. Can you sense them from here."

Anabel pressed a finger to her temple and closed her eyes and had a deeply concentrated expression, "I'm getting high amounts of fear and anxiousness from up those stairs." She said pointing towards the stairway a few yards away.

Ash nodded, "Let's find another stairway. We wouldn't want to walk into a room through a door everyone would be focused on." Ash said.

"Good point." Angie said.

* * *

They found another staircase and began to go up the stairs quickly and quietly. When they came across a doorway they stopped, "I feel it coming from there." Anabel said.

Ash kept his gun ready as he looked inside. He saw six thugs standing around someone with a bag over their head and was tied to a chair. He growled in annoyance, "There's too many out there." He whispered, what was taking them so long?

He got his answer when an alarm sounded, the thugs jumped, "The police are here, they need back up." One of them said and all but one ran towards the stairway and out of the room.

Ash took advantage of the noise and ran into the room and went straight towards the remaining thug, the thug took notice of Ash, but didn't have time to do anything before the detective slammed into him, tackled him to the ground, and knocked him out with some well-placed punches.

As Ash got up he looked over to see Anabel untying the hostage and speaking to them, probably to calm them down. Ash then reached for the radio attached to his belt, pressed a button and spoke into it, "This is Detective Ketchum, we've successfully secured the hostage."

* * *

The next day, Ash and Anabel were called into. Police Commissioner Looker's office.

* * *

"Transferred?!" They both asked, clearly shocked.

Looker nodded, "You two have been a big help here, but there have been lots of rumors of mob activity in Kalos and our department there is in need of more members. It takes too long for the rookies to become ready, so I'm sending you two there." He said, "Your housing arrangements have already been taken care of. Should give you plenty of time to pack your things. Your plane for Kalos leaves in a few days. That is all, you are both dismissed."

Ash couldn't stop thinking about the transfer, not just about the fact that he was pretty much moving, but where he was moving to. Kalos…that's where Dawn's tour was taking place.

Dawn…he hasn't seen or made and effort to contact her since she made her choice six years ago. He wondered if he'd run into her.

* * *

Meanwhile...

* * *

"Boss, everything has been set up. We're just waiting to put the plan into action."

The boss sat behind his desk with a dark look in his eyes, "There better not be any mess ups." He said, "We only get one opportunity each year, and the last person that I trusted with this operation…was a bit of a disappointment to me." He said.

The man gulped, "Yes sir, don't worry. You won't be disappointed." He said.

"Make sure you do." The boss said, "Otherwise, my skull collection will be getting a new addition." The man paled as his eyes darted to the skulls hanging on the wall behind the boss. "Now, leave me." He said waving a hand and the underling left.

* * *

 **-*X*x*X*-**

 **The scene fades and we're back with our two authors.**

 **W. R. Winters: And that concludes the first episode of** _ **Black Pearl, Sapphire, and Gold**_ **. It's very exciting, isn't it?**

 **DawnForever101: I know, I've got chills and shivers already.**

 **W. R. Winters: Yeah, but unfortunately that's all we have for all of you.**

 **DawnForever101: But don't worry, I'll be posting stuff for you guys on my Twitter DawnForever101, so be sure to follow me!**

 **W. R. Winters: But for right now…**

 **Both: This is W. R. Winters and DawnForever1010, signing off**


	2. Chapter 2: In Kalos

**The scene lights up to reveal our two favourite authors.**

 **W. R. Winters: Hey all you readers out there, we're back with another update.**

 **DawnForever101: Yup, we really hope you guys are enjoying this chapter. If you want to know more details about this fic, for example when it will be updated, just follow me on twitter. At DawnForever101.**

 **W. R. Winters: *rolls eyes* Sounds to me like you're just looking for more followers.**

 **DawnForever101: Oh, whatever, let's just start the episode already. I'm sure the readers are curious to what happens next.**

 **W.R. Winters: Yeah, I'll get it started.**

 **W. R. Winters presses a button on a remote and the scene changes.**

 **-*X*x*X*-**

* * *

"Boss, what's the problem?" One of the men asked the male in front of him. The boss was seated behind the desk and was looking at the men standing before him.

"I just want to make sure you wastes of space understand the mission, so let's see if you understand. And speak up, before it gets ugly in here, do you understand" The boss commanded. His voice was deep and penetrating, and it honestly sounded a bit scary.

Apparently no one was brave enough to speak up, and the boss grew irritated at this. He slammed his fist on the desk in anger. "Speak! Or shall I add to my skull collection?" He again gestured to the display of skulls behind him and a certain glint entered his eye when he saw everyone pale.

At that, one of the men spoke and once he clearly defined their mission, the boss smiled in satisfaction. "Good. And make sure there are no mistakes? Understood?" He finished threateningly towards them. One of the men nodded on their behalf and the boss rotated his chair, his back facing them, indicating for them to leave.

The boss then hoped that there wouldn't be any mess ups; he had grown tired of failure. He wouldn't accept any excuses if they came back empty handed.

* * *

 _"Please ensure you have all your carry-on bags with you and other respective items. We hope you enjoyed your flight and once again, thank you for choosing Kalos Airlines."_

Ash sighed to himself. It had been a long flight. He quickly unfastened his seatbelt and grabbed his suitcase. Anabel secured her respective belongings as well before she glanced at Ash, and she noticed that something was on his mind. In fact, Ash's mind seemed to preoccupied the entire plane ride, his mind was giving off all sorts of signals. She decided she'd ask him later.

* * *

After the two had done some procedures, Ash had decided to get some coffee. He sat down on one of the chairs situated there, crossing his legs in the process. He had a strong gut feeling that he would cross paths with Dawn, and truthfully, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that just yet.

Anabel put her arms on her hips. "Okay, what's wrong? You've been acting strange since the whole plane ride, what's wrong?" she asked as she sat in the seat next to him.

Ash shook his head slightly. He didn't exactly like to discuss his private life to others, especially where it involved his ex-girlfriend, but it was too hard for him to hide things from an Empath as sensitive as Anabel. "Nothing, I'm just worried about our new case."

Anabel raised her eyebrow. "We haven't gotten a specific case yet. We've just been informed about the mob activity; we didn't really get specific details."

Ash simply shrugged, and decided to leave it at that, simply because he didn't know what he would say. Anabel probably understood that since she didn't press the issue further, "We should probably tell Looker we're here."

"Already taken care of," Anabel said. "Lysander should be coming for us soon enough and he'll take us to the department."

Ash nodded and then he noticed the word 'Ketchum' on a sign to which a man was holding on to. Ash pointed towards him and Anabel said, "That must be for us."

* * *

The two quickly approached the man and Ash said, "Greetings, Detective Ketchum and Detective Lila I presume?" The man nodded and the two quickly confirmed their names with an ID, before the man gestured for the two of them to follow.

"Come with me. Commissioner Lysander is waiting."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two to reach the Lysander's department and Ash couldn't help but to notice the logo and the presentation remained consistent to Looker's department back in Unova. Ash and Anabel were looking around a bit, when they noticed a tall man approach the two of them. He was wearing a grey suit with an orange outlining the arms and legs with black shoes. His spiky hair and beard were a bright orange and he smiled slightly at the two.

"Ketchum, Lila, I've been expecting you, I am Lysander." he said, his tone a bit neutral. "Looker said that he was sending some of his best. Hopefully you won't disappoint." He said.

"We hope not, sir." They both said.

Lysander nodded, "Let's go inside."

* * *

Five minutes later, the three of them were in the commissioner's office. "I trust Looker told you what you'd be doing here?" Lysander asked.

"Yes and he informed us that there's been some mob activity going on around here," Ash said.

"But we haven't gotten any specific details on it." Anabel continued.

The tall orange head nodded. "I see. Well let's sit down and discuss the details." Ash and Anabel took their respective seats and Lysander continued. "You see, there have been reports of illegal activities, such as burglaries and other things like that, but they've only been minor break ins. Chances are that they might be getting prepared to launch another attack, but a fiercer and much bigger. So just keep an eye out."

* * *

After a few more discussions, Lysander quickly gave them a few items they would need, including a GPS tracking devices, night vision goggles, audio recorders, listening devices, electronic bug detectors and digital cameras. Lysander handed them an unfamiliar piece of equipment to which Anabel scrunched her eyebrows to.

"What's this?" she pointed to the black, minute object.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Really?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "It's a spy camera. It can be easily concealed in anything and record video. This will probably come to use eventually."

"Great," Anabel said.

"So, are you two clear with everything?" Lysander asked.

"Crystal." Ash nodded.

"Very well. Dismissed."

* * *

"You know, we're here on duty, not on a tour," Ash spat irritatingly at Anabel. She had insisted to explore around the city of Lumoise for a while, since this had been the first time Anabel had seen the Kalos region. It was perfectly fine for touring around Lumoise for a while, but he had a strange feeling build in the pit of his stomach. It was as if he knew that he and Dawn would meet conveniently here.

"Oh, hush up, Ash! You're so uptight! Learn to relax a little, we're in Lumoise city, don't tell me you don't want to explore just a little," Anabel said, and then Ash watched her gawk excitingly at a pair of heels, to which Ash rolled his eyes to. Ash only older by two years, but Anabel sometimes acted like such a teenager.

* * *

As the two walked in a shopping mall (well, Ash involuntarily walked in), Ash couldn't help but recall nearly eight years ago, when he was in high school back with Dawn and she would constantly bring him with her to her trips to the mall. He genuinely missed her laugh, her smile, and how she had given his heart a break. He specifically remembered the kiss they had shared during the winter dance. He remembered her going through so much to attain his love and trust.

Everything seemed so simple back then.

And looking at his life now, he would never had imagined himself as a detective, namely one of the 'best' according to the officers back in Unova, right here in Lumoise all over again. It almost seemed surreal.

* * *

After Dawn had made her choice, he stayed true to his words. He couldn't remain dedicated to college after the mishap and he decided to drop it. Since he had obtained a high school degree, he decided to go through the training required to become a police officer, and it required a lot of strength and dedication. And the training did give good results, if he did say so himself. He wasn't the one to brag, but it did give him new skills and increased agility. After about six months of training, some physical and written tests, he had all the necessary qualities for an officer in Looker's police department.

And over the years, he had worked hard and remained physically fit to eventually become a detective.

He didn't even realize six years had already passed, he had realized just how long it been when he'd been told that he had put in enough years of service to take the test to become a detective. With no information about Dawn throughout that entire time, save for the times where she'd appear on the news. And now, here he was, in the same country Dawn was touring currently.

* * *

"Hey, do you want to get lunch at the food court?" He heard Anabel say, breaking his train of thought. Of course, no matter how much of a detective he was, there was no way he would ever resist food.

"Of course," he said and the two stepped in the elevator to take them up a few floors.

"I'll order, my treat," Ash said before she could retort. Anabel rolled her eyes at this and instead, opted to find a suitable place to eat. The food court was a bit crowded so she had to shuffle her way through to find a seat.

After Ash placed his and his partner's order, he stepped behind and he felt his shoulder bump into someone. Slightly flinching, he instantly turned around and said, "I'm so sorry!"

The woman currently was reaching down to reach her purse that had fallen down due to the impact. She stood up and Ash realized that she was standing up to where his shoulders were. She was wearing a dark brown coat and jeans that both seemed to cling to and accent her attractive curves with some stylish black knee boots. Her eyes were covered with sunglasses and she had long red hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves. "No need to worry," she said and then she slightly gasped seeing the man standing before her. "Ash?"

Even though it had been six long years, and regardless of however she looked, Ash knew that voice. He was a bit shocked; he never would have thought he'd meet Dawn in a food court at a shopping mall. "Dawn?" Ash asked.

"Shh!" she said, placing a finger on her lips, "don't say my name, you'll draw attention!"

Ash pressed his lips into a thin line. Dawn almost laughed at his reaction. "Sorry, I didn't know you would be here…"

"Same here," Ash quickly added. "How long has it been?"

Dawn dusted some invisible dust off of her coat and adjusted her sunglasses. "I don't know…six years?" she shrugged.

Ash nodded. "Yeah…six years."

"And four months." Dawn added.

"And twenty six days."

Dawn suppressed a small smile. "Yeah. But who's counting, really?"

For some reason, they both felt a strange feeling of nostalgia. Dawn's heart began to accelerate and Ash was almost rendered speechless. She noticed that the past six years had done well to him, and she was a bit impressed at the build he developed and how tall he had grown. His black hair had grown a little and was a bit messier and he had a little bit of stubble, but it complimented his rugged good looks. Ash couldn't help but to eye her slowly from head to toe, and he nearly gulped at just how much of hourglass figure she had developed. She still remained a bit shorter than him, but he knew she had grown taller as well. Her lips were adorned with soft pink lipstick and her face was still as flawless as ever.

Ash blinked. He then cleared his throat and Dawn shuffled her feet, feeling a bit awkward. "I'm guessing the disguise is because you're out in public."

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves, you know."

"We?" Ash raised his eyebrow.

"Hey, Dawn, I ordered the-" Ash heard a familiar voice say and when he looked towards the incoming male, who stopped upon seeing who Dawn was with. "No way." Wolf said, even after six years, he still had the same stupid grin. Ash chuckled a bit and he stepped forward and the two shared a manly hug.

"It's been a long time Ash. What have you been up to?" Wolf asked, after breaking the hug. He was obviously wearing a dark brown wig to cover his blonde hair and his eyes were behind a set of square rimmed glasses. A fake beard outlined his chin and he wore a white T-shirt covered by a black leather jacket with some jeans.

"Nothing much, I became a detective stationed in Unova." he said and he watched Dawn's mouth slightly open agape.

"That's great!" Wolf commented. "I guess dropping out of college does have its benefits." Wolf joked, earning a death glare from Dawn; Ash however, chuckled a bit.

"Boys." Dawn muttered under her breath, "So, what are you doing here in Kalos then?" Dawn asked.

Ash was about to respond when he realized they were holding the line. "I'll explain soon enough. Let's sit down and catch up, shall we?"

* * *

They headed over to where Anabel was sitting, and Dawn frowned when she glanced at her. Ash sat next to Anabel, and Dawn and Wolf sat across the two of them. Anabel immediately smiled at the two of them. "Hi! My name is Anabel Lila. Do you guys know Ash?"

Ash noticed Dawn shift her eyes away from Anabel, and she noticed her mood had dropped. He glanced at Anabel and put two and two together, seeing as working as a detective removed some of his denseness. He slightly smirked, deciding to take advantage of the opportunity. "Anabel _honey_ , don't you recognize them?" he said, emphasising the word 'honey'. He noticed Dawn's eyebrows knit together. Anabel quirked an eyebrow at the sudden new nickname, but looked at the two in front of her.

"No…should I?"

Wolf chuckled a bit and he slightly removed the back of his black wig to reveal a bit of his blonde hair and took off his sunglasses. Dawn revealed a bit of her blue hair before securing her wig in place. Anabel put a palm over her mouth in shock and glanced at Dawn and then Wolf repeatedly.

* * *

If he looked towards their direction a second later, he would've missed it, but he saw it. Just a flash of color. A midnight sapphire blue color that he and his co-workers had been forced to memorize and recognized. He raised a hand to the side of his face as id to scratch his cheek, but then he spoke to the communication device attached to his wrist, "Target spotted in the food court between Machamp's Gym and Gardevoir's Secret. I'm beginning to proceed to stage two." he said before he lowered his arm as his eyes looked at a shop in the food court, "Cherubi's Smoothies..." he read and an idea began to form in his head.

* * *

"No way! You're…you're…" Anabel trailed off, a loss for words. Ash rolled his eyes. Typical. She surely didn't act like a high class detective now.

"Yeah, Wolf Winters and Dawn Berlitz," he whispered, "We're wearing these disguises so that we don't get mauled by fans and so that girls don't get tempted to rape me."

Anabel laughed and Dawn rolled her eyes. Anabel drank a glass of water to calm down her nerves of meeting two stars. It was almost unbelievable. "So," Dawn started, "how long have you and Ash been dating?'

Anabel's eyes widened and she started to choke, and Dawn and Wolf flinched while Ash patted her back a few times. "What?! Dating?! Ash?!"

Ash rolled his eyes at the exaggeration. "Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically.

Anabel smiled sheepishly at him and then looked at Dawn. "We're not dating, I mean Ash is a great guy and all, but the only relationship we have is being partners as detectives." Dawn blinked and looked towards Ash.

"Yeah…did you think we were going out, Dawn?" Ash smirked towards her direction, and Dawn almost reddened. She should have figured Ash was just messing with her the whole time. But obviously she couldn't deny that she still had feelings for him.

Even after six years.

Anabel raised her eyebrow. "Sounds like you two know each other," she said to Ash.

"More than that," Wolf said. "Ash and Dawn used to go out."

"What?!" Anabel exclaimed. She looked at Ash in disbelief. "And you never thought you could share this piece of information with me?"

Ash shrugged. "It never came up. Besides, we broke up over six years ago."

"But why?"

Ash didn't want to go over too much details and he sensed that Dawn and Wolf felt the same. "Our paths led us in different directions after high school and we couldn't maintain a long distance relationship for too long," Dawn said.

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

Anabel eyed Dawn and Ash suspiciously. "Okay," she said, shrugging.

"Yeah, anyways, enough about me and Dawn. Wolf, how's Raven doing?" Ash asked.

Dawn's eyes widened a bit and Wolf lowered his eyes a little and there was a moment of tense silence, "We broke up actually. We had to break it off when she decided to follow her own path and study in Sinnoh at college."

"Oh," Ash said, feeling bad for bringing it up. He didn't realize that question would affect him that much, "Sorry to hear that. But hey, I'm sure it'll work out soon enough after she's done with college," he said.

Wolf shrugged. "Maybe, but she's bound to meet all kind of guys at college. I won't hold it against her if she finds someone else." he said, "How'd you know about Raven anyway?" he asked.

"Well two months after I made my choice," Dawn started, "I told Tracey about what happened between me and Ash and I also filled in a little detail about you and Raven," she explained, looking at Wolf. He nodded in understanding.

"Who's Tracey?" Anabel asked, curious.

"He's my friend and was my roommate back in college," he said, "he graduated two years back and he decided to settle down and get a job. Last I heard from him was when he got married four months ago." he said.

"Sounds like he's the only normal one," Anabel said flatly, "I mean, Dawn's a star and so is Wolf, and we're detectives," Anabel giggled lightly.

Ash shrugged. "If he wants to live the calm life, then that's fine. As long as he's happy, that's all that matters. I think he deserves that after having to deal with my drama for as long as he did." he said.

* * *

The group chatted for the next fifteen to twenty minutes and the entire time, one question remained in both Ash and Dawn's mind to which they never brought up. The two weren't sure if this was the right time to bring it up.

"I think I want dessert. Does anybody want anything?" Wolf asked, and he saw everybody shake their heads and he walked up to the counter, leaving the three of them.

Anabel looked between the other two table members and figured what she had to do, "I'll be right back, I have to use the bathroom," Anabel said to which Ash nodded before she left the table.

Dawn eyed Ash, and the two realized that they were finally alone to talk about their personal feelings towards each other. Ash boldly intertwined his fingers with Dawn's and strangely, she felt warm. "Dawn, I know it's been over six years and a lot may have happened or changed, but-"

Whatever Ash planned to continue to say was interrupted when Dawn yelped loudly and jumped up as she felt her shirt being soaked. She turned around and eyed the guy that was next to their table, there was an empty cup in his hand and his expression was extremely guilty. "I am so very sorry about that. I bumped into something and I spilled my drink." he said.

She brushed her soaking shirt and slightly smiled, "It's fine," she said and then looked at Ash, "Sorry about that, you were saying?"

The guy continued to protest. "No it's not, I feel awful. Your shirt is soaked and possibly ruined." He said looking at Dawn's shirt, "I'll buy you a new one."

Dawn was taken aback at the sudden gesture. "No, I'm perfectly fine, it'll wash off."

The stranger shook his head, "It was a smoothie, and by the time you get home it'll stain and be too hard to wash out. Let me buy you a new shirt, could you come with me so I make sure I get the proper size." he said.

Dawn didn't know how to respond, but she was getting annoyed by his persistence, "If I go with you, will you leave me alone afterwards?" She asked.

The man seemed to flinch at her comment, "Oh, I'm making your uncomfortable aren't I? Look, it'll be quick and I promise I'll be out of your hair as soon as it's over. I'm just trying to fix my mistake."

Dawn sighed. "Fine," she said exasperatingly and took a step towards the man and gave a sympathetic look towards Ash. "Sorry, you'll have to finish what you were saying when I get back."

"You want me to come with you?" he asked, not entirely sure Dawn should be going alone.

Dawn shook her head. "I'll be fine, thanks. I'll be right back," she said. Ash nodded and watched as the two left the food court.

* * *

Within about two minutes, Wolf came back with a box of donuts in his hand with crumbs in his fake beard. Conveniently, Anabel sat down in the seat next to Ash once again. "Hey, where's Dawn?" Wolf asked.

"A guy spilled his drink on her shirt a few minutes back and they went out to buy a new one for her," he explained. "The guy kept insisting to buy her a shirt even though she said it was fine, but he was pretty stubborn."

"Oh," Wolf said and then he took a bite out of his donut.

"So…what was it like dating Dawn?" Anabel asked, crossing her arms. Ash widened his eyes at the sudden question.

"Dating her was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and no matter how long it's been since we've broken up, she will always be on my mind," he said.

Anabel raised her eyebrow. "If you still feel that way then why don't you just get back together again?"

"I don't mean to intervene, but I think that's Ash's choice," Wolf said.

"It's fine," he said. "I'd like to get back with her, I just don't know if I can…" he said, sighing. "It's been too long and I'm not sure what she feels."

"Are you kidding? I've see the way she looks at you. It doesn't take an Empath to know that both of you still have feelings for each other."

Ash shrugged. "Guess we'll have to wait and find out," he said.

* * *

A few minutes went by, after ten minutes Ash became a little worried. "Why is she taking so long?" Ash asked.

Wolf shrugged. "I'll call her," he decided before ringing her. There was no answer. He called her numerous times, but Wolf grew worried when she didn't pick up. "She's not answering, I've called over ten times. This isn't like her. She always has her phone with her."

Ash looked over at Anabel who had her eyes closed in deep concentration, after a few seconds her eyes shot open, "She's in trouble!" she said before taking off.

Ash and Wolf were quick to follow, both of them had several questions going through their minds, but neither of them asked them and just focused on following Anabel. Anabel was focusing on the strong feelings of fear and desperation coming from Dawn, she ran through the mall, taking turns where she needed to.

* * *

They weren't sure how far they'd gone, but they got outside and finally Anabel stopped, actually they all stopped when their eyes fell on a side that made their blood run cold.

* * *

 **-*X*x*X*-**

 **The scene fades and reveals our two authors.**

 **DawnForever101: Wow, a cliff-hanger already, man we are evil.**

 **W.R. Winters: *smirks* Hehe. But if you guys want the next episode up, you're gonna have to review, it gives us a boost of motivation.**

 **DawnForever101: Look who's asking for attention now.**

 **W.R. Winters: Shut up, you only have 17 followers on twitter.**

 **DawnForever101: Ohohoho, now you've done it! *cracks knuckles***

 **W.R. Winters: *gulps* What are you-**

 **DawnForever101: Readers, we'll see you in our next update. And maybe Wolf will be alive, but no promises…**

 **The scene fades away and all that is heard is punching and groaning.**


	3. Chapter 3: Abducted

**The scene lights up slowly to reveal our two authors. One of them however, doesn't seem to be in the best shape.**

 **DawnForever101: Hey everyone, and welcome to the next episode of** _ **Black Pearl, Sapphire, and Gold**_ **.**

 **W. R. Winters: *Wolf is covered with bruises, his arm is in a cast, and he has a black eye with a bandage around his head* Good to be back, even though I'm currently in a lot of pain.**

 **DawnForever101: Quit being such a cry baby, you were asking for it.**

 **W. R. Winters: That was physical abuse! Also, I hope that all of you reading followed her on Twitter, that way I never have to go through that again.**

 **DawnForever101: *punches shoulders* Toughen up; you're supposed to be a wolf.**

 **W. R. Winters: OW! Well, this Wolf is a little tender right now. Just start the episode already, we had an epic cliffhanger last time and I'm sure the readers are sick of us stalling.**

 **DawnForever101: Neither of us own Pokémon and hope that you all enjoy the episode.**

 **DawnForever101 presses a button and the scene changes.**

 **-*X*x*X*-**

* * *

The three of them were now behind the mall where the workers most likely received their shipments of inventory. There was no one else around, so Ash could clearly see the stranger that Dawn left with, and he wasn't alone, he was joined by two others that were dressed just like regular bystanders, but they were all shoving Dawn into the back of a shipping van. Ash wasted no time and charged towards it.

The blunette was the first to notice Ash. Dawn tried to scream, but the gag blocked any sound from leaving her mouth. One of the men saw her attempted screams and looked over his shoulder to see Ash charging at them. "Move!" he shouted and they all but tossed Dawn into the back of the van and were quick to climb into the back of the van.

When they got in, one of them screamed, "Drive!" before they slammed the doors shut. The shipping van then began to accelerate and drive off.

By the time the van began to pick up speed, Ash had caught up to it and jumped onto the back, gripping the back door handle stay on. After taking a second to stabilize himself and grab something in his pocket, he began trying to get it open at the same time as the van was picking up speed. Just when Ash thought he was about to get the door open, the van took a sharp turn and practically threw Ash off the back of the van and it drove off.

* * *

Inside the van, the man that had initially grabbed Dawn spoke into the device attached to his wrist, "We're in the van and approaching HQ."

" _Do you have the target?"_

The man looked at the bound and gagged Dawn with a grin, "Yeah, we got her."

" _No screw ups?"_

The man was silent for a moment, "Someone saw us take her and tried to chase after us."

"… _who?"_

The man cringed, "It may have been the new detective that the boss said was coming to Lumiose."

" _What?!"_

The sudden loud shout made the man's ears hurt, "He got on the back of our van, but we managed to throw him off."

"… _The boss will need to know about this."_

* * *

Ash hit the ground hard and rolled a few times before coming to a slow stop. He was pretty sure that he didn't break anything, but he still hurt all over, especially his cheek. Ash touched it with his hand and when he looked at his fingers to see the tips had a bit of blood on them.

"Ash, you alright?" Anabel said as she ran up to Ash and kneeled down to his level. Ready to help him up if she needed to.

"Why didn't you try to shoot out the tires?" Ash grunted as he slowly got to his feet.

Anabel rolled her eyes, "You were chasing after the van and on the back of it, trying to shoot the tires would've been too risky. I could've hit you, I'm your partner. Not a marksman." she said, as if the answer was obvious.

Ash ignored Anabel's sarcasm and wanted to retort, but Wolf had caught up with them, "They got away?" he asked.

"Not entirely." Ash said.

"Not entirely?" Wolf repeated, "What kind of an answer it that? It looks pretty clear to me that they just drove off!"

"They didn't entirely get away, because before I got thrown off, I attached a tracer to the back of the car." Ash explained.

Wolf only seemed to calm down slightly, if at all, upon hearing that, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go track them down."

Ash sighed, "My GPS tracker is back at the police station headquarters, I didn't think I would need it. A stupid move on my part."

"So you really haven't changed all that much then." Wolf muttered. Whether or not Ash heard him was unknown.

Anabel spoke up, "Guys, let's just calm down and make our way back to HQ." Unfortunately neither Wolf nor Ash looked close to even considering calming down.

* * *

The three of them were back in the mall moving as fast as they could. There were moments where they had to avoid colliding with the people that were in the mall, and they had some very close calls, which resulted is some pretty colorful language from the other mall people. Unfortunately, they weren't able to avoid everyone. When they were only a few stores away from the entrance, Anabel crashed into someone, sending them both to the floor.

Ash helped Anabel to her feet, while Wolf helped the stranger to their feet, "Sorry about that." Wolf said, "We were just in a rush and-" Wolf stopped abruptly when he saw that there was some dark blue hair hiding underneath the wig she was wearing, "Dawn?!" He exclaimed.

Ash and Anabel looked at the stranger, and sure enough. She looked exactly like Dawn, same hair color, same eyes, same face; even her figure was identical, "Who?" Now there was the difference. She looked exactly like Dawn, but her voice was completely different, mainly because of her accent. The woman looked at them with a slight apologetic look, "Excuse me, but I think you have me confused for someone else. I'm not your friend Dawn. My name is Salvia." She explained.

Everyone's expressions, especially Wolf's and Ash's, dropped. "Well, it was an honest mistake." Anabel said, "You look so much like her it's scary."

Something about Anabel's words made Salvia turn grim, "Was she just abducted?" She asked in a whisper.

Her question caught the trio completely off guard, "How did you…" Ash began to ask, almost at a loss for words.

"Because it was me they wanted, not your friend Dawn."

* * *

The boss was sitting in his chair, looking at the computer on his desk while video chatting with someone, "I'm aware that I'm late in giving you your shares, but my men just haven't been-"

"I watch the news, so don't give me bullshit by saying your heists haven't been successful. Don't try to hide things from me; I own the underground of this city." The man on the screen said in a deep gruff voice, "I give you the men and you give me a percent of all profits, that's the deal, remember that it's _me_ you work for. I will expect my share the day after tomorrow. After that, the rate will go up to teach you a lesson."

The boss tried really had not to show his annoyance, "Understood…Cyrus." He said to the crime lord.

Cyrus nodded before the screen went dark.

The boss growled to himself, "The only thing to be understood is that soon you'll be answering to me." He muttered. Not long after he did, his intercom buzzed, "What?" The boss asked after pressing the button.

"Sir, I'm here to give a status update on the mission."

"Good, you may enter." He said before taking his finger off the intercom and pressing another button that was on his desk. There was a buzzing noise and the door opened and one of his underlings walked in. "Speak."

"Well, there's good news…and not so good news." The underling said, causing the boss to narrow his eyes. "The good news is that they successfully captured the target, the bad news is they were spotted by the new detective."

The boss' expression grew more bitter, "Ash Ketchum…" he said quietly. He thought for a moment before speaking again, "How far away is the van?"

"Ten minutes, sir."

"Hmm…" a plan began to form in the boss's mind.

* * *

Ash wanted nothing more than to rush to the police headquarters to start tracking Dawn, but what Salvia needed to tell them seemed very important.

"Okay, so who were those guys that grabbed Dawn and why are they after you?" Ash asked.

"Well, as for who they are, they're members of the mob. Specifically members of the Black Pearl." Salvia began to explain, "They're the second most influential mob in Lumiose, the only one more powerful is the Darkened Diamond."

"Alright, that answers the first part. Now for the second part, why are they after you?"

Salvia didn't immediately speak, instead she grabbed the hem of her blouse and pulled it up just high enough so that her midriff was showing, revealing the tattoo that spread across her stomach. It was a dark blue color and depicted a very unique dragon. "Because of this."

"I'm not following." Wolf said. Ash didn't blame his confusion.

Salvia lowered her blouse so the tattoo was covered, "I'm well known in Lumiose because of my work as a model for _Frais_ _Magazine_ , but I'm more well known in Sinnoh as Salvia Ōjo; the only true heir to perhaps the wealthiest family in the world." She said, "Hidden in this tattoo is a code, that code is the key to my entire family's fortune."

"So the leader of the Black Pearl mob is after your family's fortune." Anabel said, "How did they find out about that tattoo, seems like it would be a very closely guarded secret."

Salvia nodded, "It was, unfortunately someone who was once very close to my family is now a part of the Black Pearl mob, that's how they got the information about the code. They didn't know it was hidden in a tattoo." She said, "They figured it out 5 or more years ago after I accidentally revealed it modeling swimsuits for a photo shoot."

"How do you accidentally reveal that?" Ash asked, rather curiously.

Salvia seemed to grow embarrassed, "I mostly tried to show of the back and behind and they got a lucky shot as I was turning around." She said. "Every year around the same time I come to this mall to do a photo shoot, this is the only photo shoot I do that is constant every year, and every year for the past four to five years I've had to avoid getting kidnapped. The first year they came really close, the man that once worked for my family was the one that grabbed me. I managed to get away, and I'm guessing the Black Pearl's leader doesn't take kindly to failure."

"Why do you say that?" Anabel asked, but then she felt scared to know once she sensed a sickened and dread filled feeling come from Salvia.

Salvia shuddered, "He was found several days later in the river…without his head." She said. Everyone's stomachs churned.

"Well, since Dawn isn't the one they're looking for. Maybe they'll let her go once they realize they've got the wrong person." Wolf reasoned.

Ash nodded, "There's a very good chance of that, but let's not set our hopes too high. We don't know how these Black Pearl guys work." Ash pointed out, "Let's get back to headquarters." He said, "You should probably come with us Salvia, we'll need everything you know about the Black Pearl mob." She nodded in agreement.

* * *

Dawn was bound, gagged and blindfolded, and she had no idea where they were. She only knew that the van was coming to a stop when her body shifted suddenly and she heard doors opening. When she felt hands grab her she tried to break free.

"Careful Miss, you'll injure yourself." One of the men holding her said, "Don't worry, it'll be over soon." Then they began to make her walk, though she still tried to resist.

* * *

Dawn didn't know how long she'd been walking, but eventually they sat her down in a chair and fastened her to it. "Search and check her, make sure she has the mark."

"Is that necessary? This is obviously the one we're looking for." A different man asked.

"You willing to risk your skull with that assumption?" The first one said. There was a silence that followed, "Didn't think so, check her." Dawn felt hands pat her sides and check the pockets of her jacket. Sometimes pulling something out, at least they weren't trying to do anything _truly_ indecent.

Of course, that's when a pair of hands began to lift up the hem of her shirt.

Dawn really began to resist and kicked in the direction of the hands, her foot connected with something and a loud and strangely high pitched groan of pain was heard, unfortunately that didn't make the hands go away, luckily the stopped when her midriff was exposed. A silence followed.

* * *

"WHAT?!" The boss roared before storming down the hall towards where they were keeping. "How could you idiots grab the wrong girl?!"

The underling was close to pissing himself, "She looks just like the target, but we checked and there was no mark."

The boss reached the room and looked through the window, the he was quiet for a moment, "…you grabbed Dawn Berlitz instead of the intended target." He muttered, recognizing the singer from just about every music store he had walked past.

The underling wasn't sure what to say, "Should I give the order to let her go?"

The boss thought for a minute, "No, keep her here." He said, "There's been a change in plans."

The underling was shocked, "But sir, this is the wrong girl."

"Maybe so, but I think I can make this work." He said, "A way that will work to our advantage. Has the van left yet?" The underling shook his head, "Good."

* * *

Ash was driving through the streets of Lumiose, occasionally looking at the GPS tracker mounted on his dashboard. He normally didn't do things alone, but he needed Anabel to stay at HQ to gather everything they had on the Black Pearl. So this would just be a scouting mission to examine the area.

After a bit of driving, Ash ended up in front of an old store that had long been abandoned, and the van was no where in sight. Ash got out of his vehicle and approached the building, taped to the door was a white envelope. Attached to the envelope was the tracking device Ash connected to the van.

It didn't take long for Ash to realize that this has just been a wild goose chase, and while he was annoyed, the envelope intrigued him. So he opened it and pulled out the letter that was in it. It was typed so there was no chance of tracing the handwriting. Ash began to read.

* * *

 _Hello Detective Ketchum,_

 _Yes, I know who you are. Big shot detective like you is assigned to this city, how could I not? The tracking device was clever, just very old school. Do they teach nothing new at those police academies? Do not worry your friend is safe and you can have her back, you'll simply need to find her first. You might want to hurry though. Tardiness will not be tolerated, and the longer you take. Well, I can't guarantee that she'll be the same if you do find her. Lessons will be given to mold her mind._

 _Good luck,_

 _The boss of Black Pearl_

* * *

 **-*X*x*X*-**

 **The scene fades and we're back with our two authors.**

 **DawnForever101: And the plot has been kick-started. I hope you all enjoyed it and we hope you look forward to what's next.**

 **W. R. Winters: Well, despite my pain and suffering, it was quite enjoyable.**

 **DawnForever101: *rolls eyes* Wolf, will you just shut up, you aren't hurt that bad.**

 **W. R. Winters: Look at me…Hani, just look at me. How can you look at me and say that I can't be hurt that bad?**

 **Hani rolled her eyes and leaned over and kissed Wolf's bruised cheek.**

 **DawnForever101: There, better?**

 **W. R. Winters: *speechless and blushing furiously***

 **DawnForever101: *giggles* Well, since my co-author is unable to sign us off. I guess I'll do it. This is DawnForever101 and W. R. Winters signing off and hoping you all had a nice Halloween last week.**


	4. Chapter 4: Black Pearl's Boss

**The scene lights up to reveal our two favorite authors.**

 **W. R. Winters: Hey everybody, welcome to** _ **Black Pearl, Sapphire and Gold.**_ **Brought to you by Wolf Winters and DawnForever101.**

 **DawnForever101: *rolls eyes* That wasn't really necessary. Anyways, we finally have another update coming for you guys. We're sorry it took so long, we've been occupied.**

 **W. R. Winters: But on the bright side, we'll be having a Christmas episode approaching soon, so you guys look forward to that.**

 **DawnForever101: Okay, I think it's time to start the episode.**

 **W. R. Winters: Yep. *presses button and the scene changes***

 **-*X*x*X*-**

* * *

Ash had a scowl and irritated look when he reached HQ. He was so close but yet so far. To think that he was helpless at this moment didn't exactly brighten his mood either. Dawn was not in safe hands and he instantly blamed himself for it; he shouldn't have trusted that guy.

"Ash! Any reports on Dawn?" Anabel asked, wiping away his thought process. He could notice that she seemed genuinely concerned about her.

"No. I thought I almost had those _bastards_ ," he replied with disgust, "but turns out it was just a wild goose chase."

Anabel's eyes widened. "Well, it goes to show you that they're smarter than what we assume."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, and they left this letter too," he said, handing her the piece of paper. Anabel scanned over it.

"The boss of Black Pearl…it looks like he wants you to find Dawn." Anabel reasoned.

"I know," he sighed. "But how am I going to trace Dawn with a simple letter? This is type-written so it's not traceable." Ash put his hand on his chin for emphasis.

"May I see the letter?" Both individuals looked towards the source of the voice; Wolf. Ash didn't realize he was still here. "I may not know much about detective stuff, but the one thing I know is that I care about Dawn, and I'm not going to rest until she's safe and out of those kidnappers' hands."

Ash smiled sadly. He felt the same way and with that, Anabel handed him the letter. The blonde-haired teenager read it over a few times, but scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. He sighed. "Too bad this isn't a poem in my creative writing class, in which you could analyze stuff and read between the lines," he smiled sheepishly.

Ash raised an eyebrow. _Read between the lines_. "Hey, Wolf, lemme see the letter again," he said and Wolf shrugged before handing it to him.

* * *

 _Hello Detective Ketchum,_

 _Yes, I know who you are. Big shot detective like you is assigned to the city, how could I not? The tracking device was clever, just very old school. Do they teach nothing new at these police academies? Do not worry your friend is safe and you can have her back, you'll simply need to find her first. You might wanna hurry though. Tardiness will not be tolerated, and the longer you take. Well, I can't guarantee she'll be the same if you do find her. Lessons will be given to mold her mind._

 _Good luck,_

 _The boss of Black Pearl._

* * *

"What could they possibly mean by 'molding her mind'?" Anabel questioned, glancing at the paper from behind Ash. It seemed she was in deep thought.

"I'd assume brainwashing her in doing what the boss of Black Pearl wants or desires," Ash said, but then shook his head. "There has to be some sort of clue that we'd have to analyze in this letter. And we need to find it quickly," he said.

A ringtone blasted and Ash and Anabel glanced at Wolf, who took his phone out of his pocket. He blinked in confusion and put the phone towards his ear. "Hello? Damon?" Some chattering was heard across the line. "Yes, I know, it's very unfortunate, but I assure you that we're trying our best to find her. I actually met up with Ash and luckily, he's a detective assigned to Lumoise…what about the tour? I don't think we'd be able to continue the tour, Damon." He sighed. "Okay. Alright, I'll call 'ya back." He hung up and placed the phone in his pocket before pacing around.

Ash and Anabel looked at the worried teen. "What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"This is not good. We're going to have to cancel the tour!" He stated. "I'm really worried about Dawn, I hope she's okay," he said.

"Wolf, I know this is stressful, but I need you to calm down."

"Ash, I'm not going to calm down until I know that Dawn is safe and out of the hands of whoever took her!" He retorted.

Ash sympathized for him. "Then it should put you at ease that I'm on my case and I'm doing everything I can."

"Ash is right, Wolf. We're doing everything we can. We just have to carefully analyze this letter and trust us; Black Pearl will not get away. We assure you," Anabel said.

Wolf sighed and breathed. He only let out a hushed "Okay", before sitting down. He watched when a tall, lanky man walked towards Ash and Anabel. He noticed them speaking for a few minutes before he directed them into his office. Wolf assumed that he was the commissioner of this joint. He was about to leave when Ash opened the door and walked towards Wolf.

"I'll be sure to keep you updated. Here's my contact information," he said, handing him a piece of paper.

Wolf only nodded sternly. "Thanks, Ash. I believe in you. I'll see you later," he said.

* * *

Dawn wearily opened her eyes and her blurry vision cleared up before she realized she was in a pitch dark room. But before she could react to anything, she felt a sharp pain in her lower waist area and a strong hangover and she groaned in pain. She struggled to support herself and she realized she was tied securely with a rope. She was too weak to move any inch of her body.

The blunette, after a few minutes, let out a swarm of tears after recollecting what had occurred in the past couple of hours. She recalled being attacked by that random stranger and being shoved into a moving truck against her will. She recalled being touched in certain areas that no female would want to be touched. Her heart ached, and she felt helpless.

Her sobbing instantly stopped when she heard a door creaking open. She widened her eyes when the silhouette of a man approached her. The man raised his hand, and Dawn attempted to speak but only muffles could be heard. It was pitch dark, so she couldn't narrow down who this creepy guy was.

The gag was removed, and Dawn gasped before screaming, "Who are you?!"

She could only hear an evil chuckle. "Keep screaming…its only music to my ears," the man said. He adjusted his glasses. "Heh, heh, heh," He laughed creepily, which made Dawn shudder instantly. She widened his eyes when he started to approach her and she closed her eyes in fear of what was to come. Dawn cried when the guy started touching her in uncomfortable areas, making Dawn kick and scream. Her squirming, however, only made the henchman smirk. **(A.N. Who can guess who this guy is?)**

"Don't worry," he said smiling devilishly. He placed a kiss on her cheek before saying, "This will be over before you know it," he said with a creepy lopsided smile on his face. Dawn quivered in response and wanted nothing but to slap the guy and wipe off the disgusting kiss off her cheek. She had never been so helpless in her life and continued sobbing.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?!" A powerful voice interrupted and Dawn was very grateful, as the guy ceased touching her. Dawn struggled to see who the source of the voice was, due to the darkness. "I thought I told everyone the target is to be _alone."_ He spoke through gritted teeth. "What were you just doing?!" He yelled.

The guy only mumbled in response. "Uh, I was…j-just checking on the target," he said, his voice suddenly small.

"Do not lie to me you piece of shit." The boss said in neither a loud or soft voice, but it was still enough to make both Dawn and the henchman quiver in fear. "Come with me, right now." He demanded and the henchman gulped before reluctantly walking in the direction of the boss. "I don't know if you heard this, but I'm thinking of adding to my collection." The boss added as the henchman vanished into the darkness.

Dawn sighed in relief and began to breathe in a normal pace now. No doubt, the boss was intimidating. Never before had she seen the expression and color in a man's face leave so quickly.

Dawn flinched when she heard a scream that got louder and louder until it was interrupted by a loud _**SNAP!**_ Then all was silent. She heard mumbling voices follow after that. "Bring him to where they all go, then dispose of the scum. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated." She heard the boss say to someone.

Dawn could only hug herself and try to give herself comfort in the terrible and lowly place she was in.

* * *

Lysander was lying against the chair with the letter in his hand. "Hmm. Have you two come up with a conclusion on what this letter means?"

"Not exactly, sir. I'm aware that a clue is cleverly hidden in there somewhere, it's probably in plain sight, but I'm unable to figure it out," Ash said. The letter was laid on the desk now and Ash all but stared at it. Anabel examined it carefully over and over, and there was no doubt this was getting frustrating.

Meanwhile, Lysander was typing on his computer and he began to read a few articles. "Hmm…" he said before turning to the two, "Perhaps you should look for puns and word play. Little things such as puns could get past you, but not if you're really observant."

"And reading between the lines," Anabel said, recalling what Wolf advised them. Ash's eyes wavered at them a little before reading the letter again. He read and analyzed each word carefully, coming to all sorts of possibilities, and his eyes widened at a specific sentence.

* * *

 _The tracking device was clever, just very old school._

* * *

 _ **...Old school.**_

Maybe…could it? Ash's eyes sparkled with intensity and he stood up. Anabel stared at him in confusion. "I think I have a lead to where my next step is," he said proudly. He was one step closer towards Dawn; he could feel it.

"I'm assuming that you narrowed the clue down," Anabel said sheepishly. When Ash nodded, she smiled enthusiastically.

"Excellent work, Detective Ketchum. Now, be sure to keep me posted. Once we have all the evidence against Black Pearl, we'll expose them and ensure they're thrown in jail," Lysander said. The two nodded before gathering all the essentials they'd need and left the office.

"Ash," Anabel stopped him. "Where exactly are we going?"

Memories instantly flooded in the back of Ash's mind. "You'll see," he said vaguely before directing her to follow him to his car.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wolf was having another conversation with Damon. "Yes, sir. I understand. But I'm not going to continue the tour without Dawn. I'm going to stay and look for her, that's what I've decided and I'm not returning without Dawn," he said before he recognized Princess Salvia talking to another one of the officers. "Wait, I have an idea…I'll call you back." he said before he practically ran towards the identical lookalike of Dawn.

"Princess Salvia! Salvia!" Wolf yelled.

Luckily Salvia was finished talking to the officer, so he wasn't interrupting anything. She turned towards him and instantly recognized him. "Oh hello, Wolf. Any luck finding your friend?"

He shook his head disappointingly. "Not yet, but I think I know a way that you can help. Will you?"

Salvia only smiled in response. "And what shall I do?" she asked.

Wolf regarded Salvia with a serious expression, "How's your acting?"

* * *

Dawn was, once again, being dragged against her will and she kept struggling and squirming. "Don't be afraid, little lady. We're not going to hurt you," one of the henchman said, with a playful smirk on his face. Dawn would've rolled her eyes, but she was blindfolded and gagged once again. "You have been given the privilege of dining with the boss. It wouldn't do us any bit of good if we kept him waiting." the henchman spoke once again.

The henchmen set her down on a chair and she muffled through the gag. Why was she here? She was on a tour with Wolf and she had bumped into Ash a couple of hours ago. She'd never predict once she'd be in an awful situation like this. She was scared and absolutely terrified; she only wished that she'd be out of this retched place as soon as possible, and continuing her tour with Wolf.

She really hoped that Ash or Wolf were looking for her.

Dawn felt her blindfold being removed. The first thing she noticed she was sitting at a huge table in a dimly lit room. The henchman took notice of her tear streaked cheeks, "Awww, Miss Sapphire singing pop sensation shouldn't cry like that." he said, almost mocking her. Dawn only felt disgusted at this.

She narrowed her eyes, and the henchman only smirked in response. The gag was removed. "You people are _**sick!**_ " She spat towards the henchman. "Once you're exposed, I'll be let out and all of you are going to fucking rot in jail, do you hear me?!" She yelled at the top of her voice, almost getting breathless. The henchman unfortunately didn't flinch, but he grew amused.

"Alright that's enough!" A deep voice snapped and the henchman immediately turned around and saluted the boss. Dawn flinched, but noticed the tall man leaning against the far wall. He was wearing a ski mask to conceal his identity, Dawn wondered how she didn't notice him before. "Leave me." He demanded in a cold tone and the henchman heeded to his words and left the two in silence.

After a few seconds of silence, the boss snapped his fingers. As if responding to his fingers, the couple of candlelights were lit and placed at the center of the dining table, bringing more light to the room. The boss then took a set at the far end of the table to her right. She narrowed her eyes at him and was about to utter a few choice, but then the doors opened and a group of henchmen bringing plates and platters of food onto the table. The table was soon covered with plates, each with a different kind of food on them. Dawn had to admit the food looked good, but she was in no mood to eat. Dawn only crossed her arms.

"Not hungry, Miss Berlitz?" the boss said, as if this were a perfectly casual dinner. He reached into the fruit basket that was very close to him, "Perhaps I can offer you an apple?" he said holding out the green fruit.

Dawn only grew irritated at this. She was fed up. "Let me go! If you're looking for ransom, I have money."

The boss merely chuckled while taking a bite of the apple he was holding. After swallowing his bite he began to speak again, "Oh you misunderstand, Miss Berlitz. While money is what we're looking for, it isn't yours we're after."

Dawn scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "If you don't want money, what use am I to you?"

The boss was silent, then seemed to nod in understanding. "…You don't remember me. Makes sense, after all, what happened was a long time ago."

A few green wine bottles and other alcoholic drinks were being set on the table and Dawn watched as the boss took a few bites out of the apple. "…Do I know you?" She questioned, feeling a sense of familiarity reach her.

The boss reached for a bottle and looked at the date, " _Shaymin's Gratitude 1923_ , very excellent year." He commented before he poured some of the wine into a glass and stood up. He then began taking slow steps around the table and towards her, with the glass in his hand, "I thought you'd never ask, Miss Berlitz," he said before setting the glass down on the edge of the table. The blunette grew more curious as he carefully and slowly removed the ski mask.

When his identity was revealed, Dawn was rendered speechless. She stood up very slowly, in utter shock on who was standing before her. His hair was much shorter than she remembered, and he had some neatly trimmed facial hair, but the cold black eyes were still the same. Never had she imagined that she'd be meeting him after all these years.

"…Paul?" She muttered in disbelief.

He chuckled before taking a sip of the wine. "Welcome to Black Pearl, Dawn."

* * *

 **The audience is left in shock and the scene lights up to reveal our two favorite authors with a smug smile on their face.**

 **DawnForever101: Dun dun dun! Didn't expect that, did you?**

 **W. R. Winters: Yeah, though some readers instantly recognized Paul, you guys are really smart.**

 **DawnForever101: Yup and for that, we'll be handing out cookies to: *reads names off of note* JessAmanda, SamanthaPearlzz and SparklingPearl123! Congratulations, this chapter is dedicated to all of you!**

 **W. R. Winters: If you guys die, remember Hani made the cookies.**

 **DawnForever101: *rolls eyes* Yeah yeah. So, we hoped you all enjoyed the update and look forward to the next one, because it's the Christmas episode! We're also doing a Q &A, so leave your questions in a review. It's going to be a lot of fun!**

 **W. R. Winters: Thank you again, and this is W.R. Winters and DawnForever101 signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5: Paul's a Mob Boss!

**The scene is black, but then a catchy Christmas tune begins to play as the Black turns into a bright Christmas red as a wreath that sparkled with Christmas lights a a red bow appeared. Then the words** _ **'Merry Christmas'**_ **appear in gold cursive writing. Then you find yourself diving through the hole in the wreath and find yourself in our author's studio completely decked out with all different kinds of Christmas decorations. Our two authors were sitting behind a desk that was larger than the one they usually sit behind. Wolf was wearing a Santa hat and a very over the top ugly Christmas sweater covered in blinking Christmas lights. Hani on the other hand was wearing a simple thin white sweater with with red stripes, she was also wearing some reindeer antlers on her head and a pair of candy cane earrings.**

 **W. R. Winters: Merry Christmas everyone! And welcome, to the Christmas episode!**

 **DawnForever101: And, as you can clearly see, we're very festive this year. Especially this dork. *Nudges Wolf* He's been here for hours getting everything ready. He got a little carried away.**

 **W. R. Winters: I did not, I was totally reserved and in control of my Christmas craziness.**

 **DawnForever101: You made over 20 dozen cookies and sang Christmas songs at the top of your lungs…**

 **W. R. Winters: Like I said, completely reserved and in control. Now, before we get to the episode. You may have noticed that our desk is a bit larger this time around. Well, there's a reason for that.**

 **DawnForever101: Yep, to help celebrate the holiday season. We thought we'd feature a guest in our little AN.**

 **W. R. Winters: So, why don't we introduce her so she can join us. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome fellow shipper, writer and Hani's cousin. The very beautiful Sam, also known as SamanthaPearlzz!**

 **The audience applauded and cheers as a girl slightly younger than our authors enters the studio. Then the males in the audience cheer louder and whistle and the girl's sexy Christmas short skirted dress and was wearing an elf hat and had ornament earrings. Upon hearing the cheers, she giggles and winks at the crowd.**

 **DawnForever101: *Turning to Wolf* Did you tell her to wear that?**

 **W. R. Winters: *Blushing and covering his nose* No, I just said she was welcome to if she was comfortable with it.**

 **DawnForever101: Okay Sam, get over here.**

 **Sam walks over and takes a seat next to Wolf.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Hey guys, thanks for having me here.**

 **DawnForever101: We're very happy to have you.**

 **SamanthaPearlz: Wolf looks like he's happy for a couple reasons. (** **Laughs** **)**

 **W. R. Winters: *Still holding nose* No comment.**

 **DawnForever101: Sam, stop torturing Wolf and just give the disclaimer.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: None of us own Pokémon and we hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Wolf pressed a button with his free hand and the scene fades to black.**

 **-*X*x*X-**

* * *

"You want me to, what?" Salvia said, completely caught off by Wolf's request.

"I want you to pretend to be Dawn for the remainder of the tour." Wolf said again, "You're practically a carbon copy of her, if anyone can do it, it's you."

Salvia couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Wolf, I'd like to help, but I can't pretend to be Dawn. I can't dance or sing, and according to Ash, I sound completely different."

Wolf didn't really seem fazed at her protests, "You won't have to sing, you just have to lip sync while we play the recorded version through the sound system."

Salvia raised an eyebrow at Wolf, "You've done this before?"

"Dawn once lost her voice right before a concert, we'll just tell our sound crew that your voice isn't quite working right." Wolf explained, "You should be able to learn the dances pretty well, we have a very good dance instructor." Salvia was running out of reasons. Wolf sighed, "Look, I know I'm asking a lot of you, especially since we only met this morning, and if this was just any other concert I would cancel it, but this is a very large scale tour. We can't just cancel it or just perform everything myself, it'll ruin Dawn's career. I can't let her career tank after she's worked so hard to get to where she is now."

Salvia didn't say anything for a few seconds, then she sighed, "Alright, I'll do it." She said.

The next thing Salvia knew, she was picked up off the ground in a very tight hug, "Thanks Sal, I owe you big time for this." Wolf said, squeezing her a little too tightly.

"W-Wolf…choking….can't breathe." Salvia choked out.

"Oh right." Wolf said before putting her down, "I'll give them the news." He said before pulling out his phone and began dialing as he walked away, leaving Salvia to catch her breath. She hoped that she made the right choice here.

* * *

Paul's smirk grew slightly at Dawn's expression, "You seem surprised to see me." He said before grabbing the bottle off the table and pouring himself a bit more wine, then he poured some of it into Dawn's glass before handing it to her. Dawn, still in a state of shock, took the glass without a fight. "Drink, it's quite excellent." He said. Then he walked back to his spot and took a seat. "I suggest you eat all that you can, it's not very often we get to eat a meal such as this, but it's a special occasion." He said as he began to put some food onto his own plate.

Dawn looked at the glass in her hand, as if unsure of what to do with it. I mean, it was very possible that he-

"You shouldn't have to worry about your drink or the food being drugged," Paul said after swallowing his first bite, as if completely reading her mind, "You saw me drink it and I'm eating the food right now. Unless I'm immune to drugs, there's nothing harmful at this dinner."

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Except for the host," she muttered before putting her glass down.

Paul let out a short laugh, "She speaks." He said, "Now will she eat?"

The longer this meeting went on, the more confusing it got. But Dawn was hungry, so she began to fill her plate, "Um…thanks." Dawn said, "For getting rid of that creep earlier." She said, somewhat awkwardly.

Paul briefly paused, her comment certainly caught him off guard. He sighed, "Conway should've known better, but do not worry. He won't bother with you anymore, and his example should let the others know not to bother you as well." Dawn shivered slightly at his comment, "Is anyone else bothering you."

Dawn decided to take a small sip of the wine, it did have an excellent taste, "No not really, except for the people that brought me in, and the guy that's holding me hostage!" Dawn said in a venomous tone.

Paul sighed, "Dawn, I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us." He said. "We didn't exactly leave off on the best of terms."

"Yeah, attempting to rape me wasn't exactly the best move." Dawn muttered.

Paul winced, "I don't look back on what I attempted to do with pride," he admitted, "I was young and filled with rage and teenaged hormones, which still doesn't excuse myself." He explained, "But I assure you who I was then is no more."

"Yeah, you went from attempted rapist to mob boss. Such a good transition." Dawn had to admit that she wasn't being a bit harsh. Maybe it was the wine.

"Perhaps if I explain that transition in a bit more detail, you'll be a bit more understanding." Paul said.

Dawn wanted to refuse, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious, "Its not like I have anything better to do." She said.

Paul took a long sip of wine before beginning, "Well, after I was expelled. I faced going to jail for attempted rape with a 10 year sentence, but my older brother Reggie decided to send me to a reform school in the Sinnoh region, where he and I grew up, instead. I have no idea how he did it, but he did. I owe him big time."

Dawn agreed thinking that it seemed like something Reggie would do.

"After 'graduating', I decided that the best way to pay my brother back was to stay out of his life, I made a small living in Sinnoh. The only place I could find work was with a construction company helping transporting supplies. Though after working there for several months, I got roped into transporting drugs hidden in the supplies. Apparently the owner of the construction company had a son in prison for possessing illegal drugs and was working as a snitch to reduce his sentence. Worked out well for him, he even got his son out of prison immediately. Unfortunately a few weeks later, the boss had to let some people go and since I was the newbie, I got the short end of the stick." He said.

Dawn hadn't realized that she hadn't touched anything on her plate yet, so she began to eat as she listened. The food wasn't that bad actually.

Paul drank some more wine before continuing, "After a getting laid off, some gang members from the drug cartel my old boss snitched found me. I thought I was a dead man. But instead of killing me, they offered me a place in their little gang. Seeing as I had no other place to go, I accepted their offer, which took me back to Kalos. Turns out they were members of the Darkened Diamond mob. I worked with them and got a pretty decent pay, with each successful job, the more difficult the jobs became. And after a couple years of working with them and becoming quite popular among. the other members, the main boss Cyrus wants to speak with me."

"Cyrus?" Dawn asked, she had no idea why that name was so familiar to her.

Paul nodded, "Correct, the Crime Lord of Kalos. He talks to me about creating a smaller minor mob that is a branch out from the Darkened Diamond, and wanted me to run it. So here I am, end of story." Paul finished.

Dawn had to admit, it wasn't what she expected, and she was a bit curious about something, "So, was my kidnapping just another mission?"

Paul tilted his head from side to side, "Yes and no, we were planning a kidnap. You just happened to look exactly like our target."

"So why don't you just let me go?" Dawn asked.

"I saw this as a good opportunity," Paul said, "don't worry, I do plan on letting you go. I just want to spend some time with you, patch up things between us. Your boyfriend the detective is looking for you, and when he does. I'll let you go with no argument, given that you and Ash don't reveal anything about Black Pearl."

Dawn was a bit shocked, "So…you just want me to stay until Ash comes, and that'll be it?" She asked.

Paul nodded, "Precisely." He said before finishing his food, "Dessert? My cook makes an excellent cherries jubilee." He said. Dawn shook her head, "Very well, I believe that wraps up things here. I'll send one of my underlings to bring you to your room." He said, standing up. "Have a pleasant evening Miss Berlitz." He said before walking out of the room.

* * *

Dawn sat in silence for a minute or two before a man with rusty brown hair walked in, "Miss, I'm here to be your escort. Follow me please." He said, Dawn stood up and went to follow him.

* * *

Ash pulled into a parking space and turned off the ignition, "We're here." Ash said as he began to get out of the car.

Anabel got out as well, "So, mind explaining why you brought us to this old building." She said looked and the decently large flat building in front of them.

"This old building was once a high school, it was here for several decades before it was deemed 'too old' to allow students to continue learning here 4 years ago." Ash explained, "The letter held several references to education, the term _old school_ caught my attention."

The purple haired girl looked over at Ash, "And you think the letter was talking about this dump?"

Ash nodded, "It's the only school I can think of that makes sense. People may be able to hide drugs in an active school, but I'm sure someone would've caught on if the Black Pearl was hiding things in school that was still in use." Ash said, "Also, this is the high school I used to attend. I can't ignore that coincidence." He said. "Let's see what we can find."

* * *

After breaking a window and making their way inside, the two detectives began their search. They looked all throughout the halls and classrooms and found nothing except dust.

"You sure this is what the letter was talking about?" Anabel asked.

Ash had to admit, he was having his doubts as well, but he couldn't give up. Not just because Dawn was counting on him, but also because he hadn't looked everywhere. "You search the gymnasium and I'll search the auditorium and catwalks."

* * *

Ash thought that it would've been a bit difficult to get into the hallway that led up to the catwalks, but the door was unlocked. It was actually quite suspicious. Ash went up the stairs up to the hallway way and-

 _Was that a light?_

Sure enough, just ahead was a door that was slightly ajar with a light coming through the crack. Which didn't make sense. This place had been abandoned for years, why is there a light? Ash went over and slowly push the door open. Then he heard a click and quickly moved to the side before a few gunshots went off and the door and opposite wall became riddled with holes.

Ash didn't move until after the gunfire stopped. Then he went back to opening the door, when it was open enough for him to step through, he quickly took notice of two things.

The guns that were pointed at and door, and the envelope taped to one of them. Ash quickly grabbed the envelope, opened it and pulled out the letter to read it.

* * *

 _Dear Detective,_

 _If the guns didn't kill you, I congratulate you for finding this. You live up to your reputation. Good luck with the next one._

 _The Boss of Black Pearl_

* * *

Ash stared at it, that couldn't be it. There had to be more. Ash looked on the back, nothing. Ash looked back to the message, then he noticed the words were printed in a strange brown red color. It almost looked like-

Then it came to him, he grabbed his radio and went to call Anabel, he had another lead.

* * *

 **-*X*x*X*-**

 **The scene faded to reveal our two authors and their guest.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Seriously, a cliffhanger?!**

 **DawnForever101: Yep, even during Christmas time. We're still just as evil.**

 **W. R. Winters: Yeah, and after all that. I could use a glass of good eggnog.**

 **DawnForever101: Yuck, how can you drink that stuff? Hot chocolate is way better.**

 **W. R. Winters: *Looks at co-author* What are you talking about? Eggnog is better.**

 **DawnForever101: Hot chocolate.**

 **W. R. Winters: Eggnog.**

 **DawnForever101: Cocoa.**

 **W. R. Winters: Nog.**

 **DawnForever101: COCOA!**

 **W. R. Winters: NOG!**

 **Both: *turns to Sam* SAM, TELL THEM WHICH IS BETTER?!**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Ummm…I don't know. I like both equally.**

 **W. R. Winters: Okay, looks like it's a tie. So we'll leave it up to the readers. I'll leave a poll on my profile so you guys can vote. So, last time we said we'd answer any questions you had, so Sam. Would you mind reading the questions that were submitted? *Hands Sam some cards***

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Sure. *Looks at first question* Submitted by Skeletonknight – "What do girls look for in a guy?"**

 **W. R. Winters: I have no freaking idea.**

 **DawnForever101: Well, I say we look for guys that are selflessly good. Guys that don't expect something in return when they do something nice. That's why we sometimes don't go after nice guys. Sometimestheyre only nice so they can get the girl. Next question.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Also submitted by Skeletonknight – "Is Kenny going to be in the story?"**

 **W. R. Winters: Spoiler question, those aren't allowed.**

 **DawnForever101: But didn't that response answer the question?**

 **W. R. Winters: Ummm…Moving on.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Submitted by darkestlightofhope – "I was just wondering why Paul is keeping her under hostage. I mean he wanted Salvia right? Is he still angry because of what happened in high school?"**

 **W. R. Winters: Well, the chapter already answered this question, right?**

 **DawnForever101: I think so, let us know If it did.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: Next, and final, question. Also submitted by darkestlightofhope – "You two had this planned before hand right? While writing dancing with the world?"**

 **DawnForever101: Well, yes and no.**

 **W. R. Winters: Yeah, it occurred to that that we could write a sequel, but we didn't know what we could write. Until SourAgar gave us an idea we could work with. And the rest is history. Alright, so that's the last of them, so we're going to-**

 **DawnForever101: Wolf, we can't sign off yet.**

 **W. R. Winters: Why not?**

 **DawnForever101: *pulls out wrapped present* Because our producers sent us this gift to be opened during the show.**

 **W. R. Winters: Alright, let's open it then.**

 **Hani opened the present, and when she did. A small drone that had mistletoe attached to it and began to hover over Wolf and Sam.**

 **DawnForever101: *smirks* Well well well, look at who's underneath the mistletoe?**

 **W. R. Winters: And look who's got a sense of humor. *Gets up* I'm going to get some cookies.**

 **SamanthaPearlzz: I'll come with. *Jumps on Wolf's back* Onward my mighty steed!**

 **Wolf rolls his eyes, but smiles as he walks out of the studio with Sam on his back and the drone following them**

 **DawnForever101: *laughs* I wonder if they realize that mistletoe's just going to keep following them. What am I going to do with those dorks? Well anyway, we thank you all for joining us this holiday season. Be sure to grab a cookie on the way out. This is DawnForever101, and a now absent, W. R. Winters and SamanthaPearlzz signing off and wishing you all a merry Christmas.**

 **The scene fades to black.**


	6. Chapter 6: Why

**The scene lights up to reveal our favourite authors, who have apologetic grins on their faces.**

 **W. R. Winters: Umm, hello there.**

 **DawnForever101: Welcome to another one of our fast updates, oh who am I kidding? We've kept you guys waiting for six months.**

 **W. R. Winters: They're our readers, they understand, right guys?**

 ***crickets chirp***

 **W. R. Winters: Well we've been very busy within our last road to adulthood. I recently graduated from high school while my partner here graduated with her associate's degree while keeping a job.**

 **DawnForever101: Yup but we have some free time now, so that's good news.**

 **W. R. Winters: Once again, we're sorry for the late update, but hopefully this chapter can make it up.**

 **DawnForever101: *presses a button and the scene changes***

 **-*X*x*X*-**

* * *

"Ash, what's the report? Did you find anything?" Anabel asked Ash once he stepped into HQ.

In response, he held out the letter and pointed to the handwriting. "I found this letter. It tells us nothing, but I think its written in blood, which means that we can trace it and see where it leads us."

Anabel nodded, but asked, "Why would they write it out in blood anyway?" Ash shrugged, but he was aware that Black Pearl was very much aware of what they were doing. He wasn't sure if these letters itself were going to lead them towards Dawn; but he had no choice and couldn't stop now anyway.

"We need to get to the hospital to get a DNA test done," Ash said.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm being held hostage yet still have the privilege of having my own room," Dawn muttered to herself, not realizing the underling who was in front of her might have heard everything. If he did, he didn't make any comment and stopped in front of a room.

Dawn opened the door, and slightly widened her eyes. The room was lit up with candles, which were placed on a dining table. She couldn't believe she had actually laid her eyes on a bed, and a fridge. Was she being kidnapped or was she being treated as royalty? Dawn turned around to the underling in slight shock.

"You don't like the room?" he asked. "If so I'm sure the boss would be more than willing to grant you a better one."

"Don't like the room?" she asked in astonishment. "It's…great. It almost reminds me of my dressing room," she admitted softly.

Instead of responding, the underling walked to the fridge, pulled out a wine bottle and placed it on the table. She sighed. "As much as I'm enjoying the high class treatment, I just wanna know how long I'm gonna stay here. I have a life. I can't…I can't be here forever."

"Well, Dawn, it's not in my hands. The boss has given his orders, all I know is that he wasn't lying when he said that he does plan to let you go. However, I don't think he's gonna let you out anytime soon," he said.

"Yeah, he said he'd let me go when my…friend, Ash finds me," Dawn said, choosing her words carefully. "But, what if he doesn't? Then I'm stuck here."

"It's not that bad," the underling said and Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"You try being held hostage for a while, being forced away from your friends, and your career."

"Well, at least you weren't raped."

Dawn cringed at the memory. It was a good thing Paul had been there at the exact time, and it might have the first time she was grateful for something Paul did. "Don't remind me."

"Look," the underling said, "All I'm saying is that it could be worse. Do you think other people who are held captive would have their own room, snacks and expensive drinks?"

He did have a point, and Dawn silently agreed to herself. "Yeah, true. But that doesn't mean it's still not weird. I'm just here for Paul's benefit; I wasn't even the target." She wasn't sure why she was spilling her thoughts out to Paul's underlings in the first place. But at that moment, it felt good sharing her feelings with someone.

"You're just gonna have to hope that your friend finds you," he said.

Dawn pressed her lips into a straight line, and suddenly made keen observation to whom she was speaking to. The underling was fairly tall, probably Ash's height, and he had dark auburn hair with black eyes. "What's your name?" she asked, simply out of curiosity. He raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I practically spilled out what's in my heart, I want to know who I was blabbering to a few minutes ago," she said, noticing his questioning look.

He let a small smile show. "Kenny." And with not even a second to spare, he had left leaving Dawn by herself.

* * *

Ash and Anabel were in the vehicle, with Ash driving and Anabel seated beside him. The DNA test that was conducted apparently lead to someone that died due to a drug overdose, over a month ago. And that piece of information had left Ash a bit perplexed and confused, the fact that the person was dead meant they were without a solid lead, but their exact cause of death did open up the possibility that did seem likely.

"Ash, you need to stop thinking so much, otherwise we might end up in an accident," Anabel said, sensing Ash's thoughts. Ash only sighed in response. "Where are we going anyway?"

"There's nothing we have to go about this guy other than the fact that he died of a drug overdose," Ash said, as he took a turn. "That specific detail seems a bit odd to me, and there has to be more to this guy than just that," he added.

"Maybe this guy had something to do with Black Pearl," Anabel said. "That could be a reason."

"Yeah, maybe," Ash said. At this point, he realized he hadn't a clue to where he was going, and grew a little frustrated at the thought.

"Why don't we go investigate in one of the secluded or rougher areas of the city?" Anabel suggested. "It's very likely that majority of the people there are involved in drugs. We might be able to find something or someone that could point us in the right direction," Anabel said.

Ash smiled. "See, this is why you're my partner," Ash said, making a reverse and turning towards the road, not noticing Anabel's blushing cheeks.

* * *

"Welcome, Salvia. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this," Damon said, trying to ignore the fact that Salvia did look like an exact replica of Dawn. It was pretty scary in his opinion, but he kept those thoughts behind.

"Of course. But…are you sure this is fine? What if someone finds out and reports it?" Salvia asked, a sense of worry in her tone. Wolf, who was beside her, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Relax. No one will find out. It'll be alright," the blonde male said.

"Are there any news about the real Dawn?" Damon asked.

Both of them frowned. "No," Wolf said. "I'm really worried about her. Who knows the amount of suffering she's going through? Who knows what the hell they're doing to her? I really hope Ash can find her."

"Well," Salvia added. "Despite their methods, the Black Pearl is pretty…sophisticated for a mob. They might not be harming your friend at all. I don't know what motive they have with Dawn, I'm just trying to think positive," she added with a small laugh.

"Even your personality matches Dawn," Damon chuckled. "Well," he continued. "I'm worried about Dawn as well, but we're helpless right now. The only thing we can do is hope that Ash finds her as soon as possible. But right now, we have to focus on Salvia and get her prepared for the concert. It'll be a lot to learn, but I think she can pull it off." he said, looking at Salvia.

Salvia nodded in response. "I will not rest until I perfect all the techniques," she said with determination. Wolf and Damon merely chuckled. Damon was about to bring Salvia to Rudy, Dawn and Wolf's dance instructor, when someone literally ran up to Salvia and hugged her tightly, leaving Salvia's eyes to widen a little.

"Oh, Dawn! Oh my god! I can't believe you're back, it's almost like a dream, but I know it's not because I pinched myself twice and I didn't wake up! I was so worried about you!" The girl squealed before she pulled back entirely and looked at Salvia's attire. "Why did you change your clothes, I'm pretty sure you weren't wearing that when you leaft?" she asked, referring to Salvia's long silky dress. "Oh, whatever, it doesn't matter, because you're back. I'm so glad you're safe," she said, hugging her again. Salvia couldn't find the words to utter something.

"Hani," Damon said sadly.

Hani released Salvia and looked at her uncle behind her. "What?"

"That's not Dawn."

Hani raised an eyebrow. "What do you-"

"This is Princess Salvia. She's an exact carbon copy of Dawn, and while the real Dawn is still being held captive, Salvia is going to finish the concert," Wolf explained. Hani's jaw dropped in shock. She then looked at Salvia again, a bit apologetically.

The makeup artist looked Salvia up and down, "Are you sure you're not Dawn?" Hani asked. She could barely believe it.

Salvia nodded. "I'm sorry. It's a bit strange that I'm an exact replica to your friend. But, seeing that you care so much about Dawn is why I'm willing to continue the concert," Salvia said. Hani noticed her voice was a bit different, but everything else was pretty much spot on.

"Hani, you are going to do her makeup, aren't you?" Damon asked.

Hani let a small smile show. "Of course." Hani was a bit disappointed that Dawn hadn't returned, and was extremely worried, but put that those thoughts away for now. It was equally important to save Dawn's career, and focus on Salvia.

"That's only after Rudy helps her with her dancing. Then maybe Cythia can give her some tips on how to hide her accent," Damon said, and then escorted Salvia to where Rudy was.

* * *

Ash and Anabel were parked near the slums of Lumoise. This part of Lumoise had buildings and residences which looked cheap, rusty, covered in graffiti, and dilapidated. The residents near this area were living in abject poverty, and some of it looked deserted. As they walked a bit further into the area, they both spotted some people outside smoking (marijuana, they believed), and drinking alcoholic beverages. There were even some homeless people huddled on the sides of the road.

"Hey, move it!" A middle aged man exclaimed rudely from behind them, and the two moved out of this way. "High class people," the man muttered under his breath as he smoked the cigarette in his hand and Ash raised an eyebrow at the comment made. He noticed that he was carrying a huge duffel bag, and holding onto it with a rather tight grip. The man walked further away before Ash widened his eyes in realization.

"We should follow him. He might lead us somewhere," Ash suggested.

"Okay, and that should steer us to the guy who died from a drug overdose?"

"Not sure, but that guy who was carrying the huge bag looked a bit suspicious, there's a slight chance he could he could be involved in drug transactions. Might not directly lead us to the source but who knows?" Ash explained, and Anabel nodded before the two followed the man in silence.

* * *

It was after noon when Dawn heard a knock. The blunette quickly jumped down from the bed and answered the door, seeing a familiar face. "Kenny," she said.

"Lunch is ready. The boss is calling you downstairs," he said, and Dawn nodded before the two walked downstairs in silence.

Once again, Dawn noticed Paul in the far end seat of the table. He caught sight of her, and indicated her to take a seat. Dawn bit her lip before she turned around, noticing that Kenny had disappeared. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, but then just shrugged it off before taking a seat.

Henchmen started to place several platters of food on the table, and the food seemed more grand than usual. Dawn was briefly wondering whether this grand treatment was really necessary in the first place; but she figured she just wasn't used to it yet. Who else would get this kind of treatment while being kidnapped?

Paul snapped his fingers, and one of the henchmen placed a radio on the table, and turned it on. Classical instrumental music was now soothing their ears, and Dawn raised her eyebrows. Paul was really more inclined to the older generation, it seemed.

Dawn took a sip of the herbal tea that was placed beside her. She had to admit, it was pretty good. She then eyed Paul, who was looking at her. "So," he started. "What's been going on in Miss Sapphire's life?" he asked. Dawn looked at him questioningly. "I shared my life story and there's no telling how long you'll be here. It'd be good if you share what's been going on in your end of the world," he suggested.

Dawn sighed, before taking a bite of the rotisserie chicken. "Look, I appreciate all the grand treatment that you're giving me, but it doesn't mean anything. I have a life, Paul. You snatched my career from me. You snatched my friends from me. Do you really think that I'm gonna let everything go because of a few fancy meals and décor?"

"I already told you why you're here and when you can be released," Paul reminded her.

Dawn let her eyes waver a bit. She was sure that Ash or Wolf was doing their best to find her, but it was only her wishful thinking. She suddenly recalled when she was in the mall with both of them. When Ash and Dawn were alone, Ash wanted to tell her something, and it was only now that she wondered what he wanted to ask before that guy had spilled his drink on her shirt. Would she ever find out?

"Your boyfriend will find you, don't worry," he said, before taking a sip of wine.

Dawn looked at him. "He's not my boyfriend," she said.

That seemed to surprise him. As Paul lowered his glass, he raised his eyebrows. He was curious to know more. "Weren't you two dating?"

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, we did for a while. But…you know, things happened. It got a bit complicated, and we had to break it off, especially with my career, that you snatched away from me."

Paul only chuckled. "I didn't snatch anything from you, I simply put it on hold. Tell me, how'd it get complicated?"

"You're asking too many questions," she said.

"Oh, c'mon, don't you trust me?"

"No."

Paul let a small smirk show on his lips. "You're honest and you're smart, I like that. But yeah, if you don't feel comfortable, then feel free to request what would make you more comfortable. Within reason of course. My hope is that you'll at least become used to this; eventually."

Dawn shook her head. "No. Ash will find me, and that's it. Don't expect me to become a part of your life, Paul."

"I'm afraid you've already become a part of it," he retorted and Dawn widened her eyes. "Remember, the whole point of this is so I spend time with you; to get to know you better."

His gaze lingered on hers longer than he had anticipated, and Dawn grew a bit uncomfortable. However, she mustered up enough courage to ask, "Why?"

He didn't respond, but Dawn grew slightly surprised when he got up from his seat, and was slowly walking towards her, not taking his eyes off of her. Dawn tried to look anywhere but him, and she suddenly felt trapped when he had approached her. Biting her lip, she looked up at him, catching Paul's gaze towards her. Paul stretched his arm, and Dawn closed her eyes, but surprisingly didn't feel anything. When she opened her eyes, Paul was walking back to his seat.

He sat down, placing the bottle of wine that was in his hand on the table. "My glass was nearly empty," he pointed to the bottle. Dawn's eyes widened in realization, and her jaw had nearly dropped. Paul smirked slightly before pouring more wine in his glass.

Dawn crossed her arms. Just what exactly was Paul trying to do?

* * *

 **-*X*x*X*-**

 **The scene fades before revealing our two favourite authors.**

 **W. R. Winters: Great episode, don't you think?**

 **DawnForever101: Yup, I certainly enjoyed it, it was awesome!**

 **W.R. Winters: Yup, hopefully our readers would think so too. Right guys?**

 ***crickets chirp***

 **DawnForever101: Tough crowd. Anyways, leave a review and let us know your thoughts!**

 **W.R. Winters: Hopefully we can have an update soon, because it's summer, but then again we're still busy, so no promises. This is W.R. Winters and DawnForever101 signing off.**

 **DawnForever101: Peace yo! *shows peace sign***

 **W.R. Winters: *facepalm* Hani, don't do that ever again. *looks at audience* Sorry you guys had to see that.**


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